Chapter 31 - The King Loves Me

The Ghost King did not reply, but the blonde just smiled watching the rise and fall of strong chest.

"Will you ever love me the way I love you?" He asked softly and pressed a kiss on his temple.

Ying Yue sat back and laid his head back on the table. Placing his hand over his husband's hand on the journal, his green eyes watched the beauty of the sleeping man. His eyes felt heavy as he blinked listening to the calm breathing of the king. Moving his cheek to press against the back of his lover's hand, he smiled with closed eyes.

["What is wrong?" His green eyes looked over to the Ghost King.

The man in red ignored him and walked further from him.

"Ah Li," he called out reaching for his lover's arm, "Please, tell me so I can help you."

Fingers wrapped around bicep, and the man in red stopped.

"Husband," he felt his heart thumping with pain, "Please."

The right side of his profile turned to him, silver eyes dark and sharp. Those black brows dipped low and a scowl appeared on lips that he loved to kiss. The king shook his arm off the hold and Ying Yue felt his heart drop.

"Don't follow me," voice as chilly as the freezing mountain rushed over him, making him wrap his arm around himself.

"Ah Li," he whispered watching the man in red walk off, "What did I do?"

The blonde felt his tears fell down his eyes and felt his heart breaking. Covering his eyes, he stood there where the king left him crying softly. Soft fur nudged against his thigh and he looked down. Smiling and wiping his tears away, he kneeled pulling Snow onto his lap. Heart heavy, he closed his eyes and wished that he knew what was happening. Why was Wang Li upset and why wouldn't he just tell him what was wrong?

"Do you not love me anymore…" He whispered rubbing his cheek against the animal in his arms, "… Wang Li?"]

Green eyes opened and it took him a moment before he was able to focus his view. The man in blue had his head propped up on the table by his elbow, watching him. A hand reached forward and wiped the tears from his cheek. Silver eyes looked sadly at him and his green eyes drank his lover in.

"I have always loved you," the king said gently, "I still do."

Realizing he had asked that question aloud in his dream, he let out a sigh and closed his eyes. Leaning into the palm against his cheek, he knew who that confession was for: his first wife, Sheng Shui. He looked like him because he took over his body. He was dreaming with the memories of that man and he liked it but hated it even more. It was painful to feel the love they had, even with the arguments… he could still feel how much Sheng Shui loved the king.

He felt the kiss on his temple, and it lingered there before the king pulled back. Green eyes opened to milk the beauty that the man was.

"What did you dream of," his voice was not cold like his dream and eyes were not frosty, "… to have you in tears?"

"You," were angry with him, "were sad and…" you made him cry, "didn't want to talk," you left him, "you left me."

"You left me," he repeated and felt lips pressed against his forehead when he was pulled to a sitting position.

"I will do everything to stay by your side, Ah Yue," the Ghost King stated pulling him against his chest.

'Even here, in this strange world, I am not good enough to love,' he savored the warmth from the beautiful king. He faced the open door and watched the petals of the plum tree falling.

'If I did not look like him, would you even care for me as you do now?' He wondered feeling the warm hand rub his back.

"Let us go eat," Ying Yue pulled back and wiped his sleeve on his eyes, "I am very hungry."

He grinned and stood up, pulling the Ghost King with him. Holding his hand, the blonde pretended his heart wasn't breaking. Wang Li intertwined their fingers and he leaned against strong shoulder. He could feel a colder breeze wrapped around them as it flew by. A light shiver wrecked through his body and he moved closer to the warmth of the Ghost King.

Arriving at the table where they ate, he noticed the girls in warmer clothing. He saw the thick coats both Hein and Chu were holding. The blonde watched his king don the thick furred black coat. He felt himself wrapped in warmth when a blue coat landed on his shoulders. The inside was soft and it fitted him perfectly.

'Was this… his too?' His mind questioned and his heart dropped.

"It is getting colder," Yun spoke up sipping on her tea, "We may need to move inside."

"It is fine here," Wang Li said as they all sat down with the silver haired female.

Ying Yue pulled the coat tighter over his body. Holding onto the teacup, he blew and drank it with a satisfied sigh. Pouring more for himself, he savored the heat from the cup before Shen walked with the tray of prepared meals and set the table. Once they were finished with their meals, Wang Li kissed him before he left.

Again, denying his company.

Wrapped in the blue coat, Ying Yue was patrolling with the big cat. Why exactly they were patrolling? He didn't know. Did anyone even want to try to enter the village when they knew ghosts roamed it? As soon as he thought that, he saw Snow crouch low. Following suit, he followed slowly before hearing the noises. In one of the houses, a few men were rummaging inside looking for something or stealing it.

"Hey!" He shouted, "What do you think you are doing here?!"

The men froze and slowly turned to him.

'You have got to be kidding me,' he felt his eyes drooped.

Those three men… the same ones who tried to… touch him. Anger boiled in his blood as he wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword. They recognized him and grinned, even relaxing.

"Oi, Sheng Shui," the leader of the group grinned, "Thought you would've been dead."

"What are you doing here?" He questioned coldly with Snow beside him growling.

"Heard the king has some treasures," the bastard leered at him, moving his eyes up and down his body, "You seem to be enjoying yourself. I suppose all those you've bedded were just practices for him, huh?"

His blood was starting to boil, but he shook it away.

"Yes," Ying Yue smiled, "I've quite enjoyed myself."

"Just as we thought," the chubby one laughed loudly, "But how long until he kills you?"

"He won't," he grinned, "The king loves me."

The three thieves stared at him for a moment, looked at one another, and laughed even harder. They had tears in their eyes and were holding their stomach to ease the laughter.

'Why are they laughing?' He frowned thinking.

"Love means nothing to him," the leader stated wiping his tear away, "He said he loved his first wife and even she died because of him."

'He! Not she!' He wanted to correct them, but what they said slowed in his mind.

"What do you mean she died because of him?" The blonde stared at them hard, "If you dare spread rumors of him…" he pointed his sword at them.

"It was in your book," the scrawny male smirked shaking his head, "Don't you remember your own work?"

'Another book?!' Ying Yue found himself in shock, 'Sheng Shui! Was your life that boring to write more books!'

"You wrote the Ghost King stabbed and killed his first wife," the leader crossed his arms with a smirk, "Even when they loved each other, it didn't stop him."

Green eyes widening, his mind was starting to pound against the back of his head.

'What were they saying? That Wang Li killed Sheng Shui? That the mission to manipulate and kill the Ghost King was true and Sheng Shui couldn't complete it, which ended in his death?' He grabbed his head and stumbled against the wall, 'What does this even mean?'